A lot going on with X this week! Snap is positioning itself for growth as TikTok hangs out in legislative limbo; we got some insight into the Instagram algorithm from Adam Mosseri and some other LinkedIn details.
Another week in platform news! Let’s dive in.
1. Elon says X is growing after an extended flat period
While this isn’t official, Elon Musk is claiming significant growth for the platform based on revised user counts.
In terms of DAU, that growth would be even more significant. X reported reaching 250 million daily actives in November 2022, which it reconfirmed in March this year, meaning that it had seen zero growth in daily actives for 16 months.
But it’s now added an additional 50 million daily actives, according to this note.
2. X is hiding likes for all users
According to a Tweet from @haofei, Likes will be going away entirely.
“Public likes are incentivizing the wrong behavior. For example, many people feel discouraged from liking content that might be “edgy” in fear of retaliation from trolls, or to protect their public image.”
This would be a huge move from a major platform and could change the way people perceive content. This should be an interesting experiment!
3. LinkedIn adds labels for AI content
This is becoming common practice—as it should be.
Although it’s not yet possible to identify and label all AI-generated content, we’re continuing to learn and gather feedback to capture more content and credentials over time. While we continue to improve, we encourage you to remain mindful of the content you share and interact with. Remember, if you see something on LinkedIn that appears to be misinformation or otherwise violates our Professional Community Policies, you can report it.
4. Instagram head says post shares are key driver of reach
The send feature on Reels is more important to reach than the watch rate, says Adam Mosseri. This means that little send button is going to be more influential to the success of Reels than the length of time we spend viewing it.
Why It Matters: What sets Instagram apart from other platforms like TikTok and YouTube, especially regarding short-form videos, is the significant role that direct messaging plays in content discovery and consumption.
Another piece of the complex algorithm puzzle. Do with this information what you will!
5. Snap tries to dig in amidst TikTok’s uncertainty
This is a natural play for the platform. With TikTok in limbo, other platforms are figuring out how to edge in on the fallout, and Snap is positioning itself carefully.
“Now, with the TikTok uncertainty, people are looking for, ‘Where are other places that maybe I haven’t invested as much of my time’,” said Patrick Harris, president of the Americas at Snap. “But knowing when they do invest that time, that they’re able to see returns that are consistent and can help meaningfully continue to move and grow their businesses. That’s the journey that we’re on.”
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According to Harris, the platform still has room to grow, expanding its advertiser base across all segments, from small to medium-sized businesses up to larger companies. That said, TikTok’s ban could stand to be the next chapter in Snap’s ongoing journey to scoop up more ad dollars.
